Awesome Maps are makers of, well, awesome maps! We’ve come to Kickstarter to make the bucketlistmap, a map that covers all the places you’ve got to see before you kick the bucket.

But one thing's missing: you! We want to incorporate our backer’s suggestions into our awesome map, so read on to learn how to help us make maps awesome again!

What maps used to be

This map from 1507 is one of the first world maps ever made and the first to use the name ‘America’, artfully crafted by that handsome, bearded German fellow in the corner.

We think this map is awesome!

500 years later...

Well, not so awesome anymore...

We're German, we've got beards, and we're making maps awesome again!

We’ve already awesomized a few maps:

For our Kickstarter backers, we’re doing a limited edition print of our maps, where each one will be numbered and signed by Lars!

The Best Part: You’re Part of the team!

Maps help us view our planet (or other planets) in new and different ways, but we also think they’re a great tool for connecting people around the world. That’s why we want our backers to be part of the process, suggesting and voting on which destinations make it onto the final bucketlistmap!

We'll collect your ideas into a list and you'll vote on the top locations and activities (exact voting method TBD)!

We’re excited to be making a bucketlistmap that’s by the crowd, for the crowd!

Where We Are Now

We want to incorporate your ideas into every continent, but we didn’t want to come to you empty handed, so we’ve (mostly) finished Africa!

We’ve got lots of ideas, but we’re waiting for the final piece: you!

Our Rewards

Stretch Goals

We’re always searching for ways to make our maps even more awesome! We’ve dreamt up a few stretch goals if we surpass the minimum we need to make this map happen!

Why We Need Funding

Printing is expensive, and high quality, eco-friendly printing and packaging is even more expensive!

We love our planet so we try to produce as little waste as possible. So with all the packaging material we use paper instead of plastic wherever we can. All tubes, stickers etc. are custom made for our maps.

And, to give you a sneak preview of what my apartment will look like for the next few months, here’s a GIF of your humble bearded German cartographer packaging hundreds of surftripmaps:

Risks and challenges

We’ve already successfully designed, executed, printed and shipped hundreds of surftripmaps, snowtripmaps, and footballmaps. We know what it takes, we know how long it takes, and we’ve got the experience and know-how to get it done.

There are, however, some possible risks:

We get sick: This is probably the biggest risk. If something happens to me or Lars, it could be a setback. But we’re typically healthy individuals, and we don’t think this is a serious threat to our project.

Printing: Printing is expensive, and the printer we need is rare. Should something happen with our current printer, we have several backups. These maps will be made!

Fulfillment troubles: Anyone who’s dealt with bulk shipments knows that fulfillment can be a less-than-awesome process. We’re already partnered with a fulfillment company and have already shipped hundreds of maps to loving homes.

Armageddon: It could come at any time, and we should all be prepared! Beyond probably melting our printer and burning up all our paper, Armageddon could potentially seriously revise the Earth’s topology - what with evaporating oceans and raging volcanoes - necessitating a significant redesign of bucketlistmap. We’d do our best to work around this challenge, and try not to be too repetitive with the fire pit illustrations.

No, we are working hard on that. Some print insights, to make the scratch version we will:

1. Add a very strong, shiny and thick coating that will protect the actual print. After the first print is allowed to rest, it's inserted into a different machine which applies this special protective coating.

2. Then we add the gold scratch coating and let that dry.

3. Then we add the black country outlines and country names as an additional layer.

4. When the maps are stored, we add protective paper layers between them so they don't get too friendly and scratch each other off.

We think the process of revealing the locations on a map is great. It mirrors the discovery element of actually exploring those places through travel. We're excited to bring that same discovery to our physical map (even if it all comes off in one euphoric scratching frenzy).

Rewards

Pledge $1 or more

Join the Awesome Maps team on our map-building expedition. A pledge of any size gets you exclusive updates and a voice in which destinations make it into the map!

Estimated delivery:Jul 2013

You selected

Pledge $25 or more

97 backers

You love awesome maps. $25 gets you your choice of one of our past awesome maps: surftripmap, snowtripmap, and footballmap. These are 38” x 22” | 96cm x 57cm, and printed on silk coated, acid-free, high-quality 150lb art paper. Spread inspirational cartography and help support the creation of bucketlistmap! You’ll also get exclusive updates and a voice in the destination selection process!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $25 or more

50 backers
All gone!

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL We get up pretty early in the morning to work on our awesome maps, so we want to reward our early birds with $10 off our limited edition bucketlistmap, signed and numbered by Lars, and lovingly printed on 150lb acid-free silk-coated art paper (38” x 22”). This is a limited reward, so get one while the gettin’s good!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $35 or more

672 backers

Get one of our limited-edition, signed and numbered bucketlistmaps, complete with destinations that you helped choose! This is a totally awesome, high quality, limited edition, 38” x 22” paper map. Hop on board and start planning your next trip!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $50 or more

185 backers

Everybody needs a bucket list, but we can also help you discover the world through one of our other awesome maps! This reward level gets you a limited-edition, high-quality paper bucketlistmap plus your choice of a surftripmap, snowtripmap, or footballmap. All signed and numbered.

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $79 or more

57 backers

The weary traveler needs a place to rest his feet. What better to gaze upon when you rest yours than a full set of Awesome Maps! This reward gets you one each of the bucketlistmap, surftripmap, snowtripmap, and footballmap. Where will your next journey take you?

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $99 or more

10 backers
All gone!

You’re probably wondering how you can get one of Lars’ sweet illustrations of your very own. Look no further! This reward gets you a full set of Awesome Maps PLUS a picture of your choice hand-illustrated by Lars and sent to you as a PDF. You make awesome memories; we’ll make them a little more awesome!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $149 or more

52 backers

When it comes to classy cartography, canvas is where it’s at. We’re offering a deluxe jumbo gallery-quality canvas print of our bucketlistmap, signed and numbered like our paper map. At 59” x 35” (150cm x 90cm), this canvas map is a great way to mull over everywhere you’ve been and everywhere you’re going. She’s seaworthy, too, so don’t hesitate to take her on your next quest for hidden treasure. You’ll also get a paper Awesome Map of your choice!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $299 or more

5 backers
All gone!

You’re so awesome that you’re going to be part of our awesome map! In addition to a deluxe canvas bucketlistmap and your choice of paper map, we’ll draw you into the map! Send us a picture of your choice (see FAQ for picture guidelines). We’ll do our best to put you where you want to be wherever possible, too. Let your awesome show on every single bucketlistmap!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $350 or more

8 backers
Limited (2 left of 10)

Want to be in our map but missed out on the $299 reward? Then today is your lucky day! You can send us a picture of you and we'll put you in your very own, custom version of the bucketlistmap - specially drawn just for you! You'll get a deluxe canvas print of a one-of-a-kind, special edition map with your travel photo drawn into your location of choice!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $499 or more

0 backers

It takes a lot of maps to track all the journeys of a true globetrotter. This reward gets you every one of our 4 maps (bucketlistmap, surftripmap, snowtripmap, and footballmap) in paper and canvas, for a total of 8 maps to take you to the four corners of the world, and beyond!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $999 or more

0 backers
Limited (1 left of 1)

Want to get deeper into the mapmaking process? Maybe you want to make a map of your very own one day. This reward gets you 2 2-hour illustration lessons with Lars via Skype. He’ll teach you all about illustration, from ideation to coloration, with examples from our maps. You’ll also get a canvas bucketlistmap, and you’ll get to watch Lars as he draws you into our map!

Estimated delivery:Sep 2013

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Pledge $10,000

0 backers
Limited (1 left of 1)

Have you ever dreamt of throwing a dart on a map and just going there? Well that's what we’re going to do! We’ll throw a dart at a map, and we’ll send you on an all-expenses-paid trip to wherever it lands. (Email us for details before pledging.)

Estimated delivery:Jan 2014

Funding period

Jun 4, 2013 - Jul 4, 2013
(30 days)

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